Kapitel 19

In the work with older it is specially a problem with the amount of loss that they experience. In addition to this the focus on older has in the past few years been on the context, cohort, culture and psychological maturity.

CBT: has the greatest evidence of effect for older people. It uses Becks model with written records of negative thoughts, homework and the development of adaptive perspectives.

Psychodynamic approach: younger therapists must be patient to the older client’s slow speed and the older client must be patient to the younger therapists shortage of diversity and maturity to reasoning. Older hides behind their practical problems in stead of accessing their psychological defence mechanisms. This approach works best as a case study.

Family therapy: the family is important for the older person and in newer times the relations have been more and more complex. Therefore the work is on the relationships, the demographic spreading and the physical limits.

Models specially for use to older people:

– Reality orientation; tries to encourage the older person to remember and emphasize existing abilities and skills and a feeling of identity.

– Reminiscence and life review: is used mostly for older clients with dementia. It helped to maintain a feeling of self as a person that can be secure in some forms of memory. This can be done by writing in a dairy or by using tapes and it can be used in group therapy or individual therapy.

Validation and resolution therapy; an attempt to understand the talk of a demented person expresses by using Rogers warmth, empathy and accept. Goes from reality contact to affective contact to community contact to intensify the inner feeling of the place where an experienced process is produced.